The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Vehicles include a plurality of vehicle systems that operate in concert to propel the vehicle in accordance with a vehicle operator input An exemplary first vehicle system includes a transmission that is regulated based on vehicle operating parameters, vehicle speed, for example, as well as at least one control input (e.g., accelerator pedal position). An exemplary second vehicle system includes an engine that generates drive torque by combusting a fuel and air mixture.
In some instances, the first vehicle system is regulated based on an alternative control logic, whereby the actual control input is zero. For example, a transmission gear ratio is determined based on an accelerator pedal position during a normal operating mode. During a cruise control mode, the accelerator pedal position is zero, because the vehicle operator is not providing any control input. In order to properly operate the first vehicle system, an estimated control input is determined
Traditional vehicle systems are pre-programmed with alternative control routines to provide a control input estimate during operating modes where the actual control input is zero. More specifically, traditional vehicle systems include additional look-up tables, for example, that are accessed during the alternative operating mode (e.g., cruise control) to regulate operation of the first vehicle system. Such additional tables are undesired because they require development time and cost to calibrate and program, in addition to requiring additional non-volatile memory capacity.